Girinagar
Encyclopedia
Girinagar (formerly known as Writer's Colony) is a residential area in South West Bangalor
e, very close to Mysore Road
. This medium sized locality is surrounded by Nayandahalli
in the west, Byatarayanapura and Deepanjali Nagar in the north, Srinagar and Banashankari in the east and Hosakerehalli in the south.
Basically Girinagar is divided into 4 phases, with the 2nd phase being the largest. It also subsumes areas such as T Block, Muneshwara Block, Nagendra Block, Avalahalli, Ganapathi Nagar and Chamundi Nagar.
. This area is not very cosmopolitan
and tradition is the order of the day. But nowadays the youngsters here have a blend of both modern as well as traditional values.
Being in Southwest Bangalore, Girinagar is well connected to the Bangalore Central Business District
, but is very far away from the IT Corridor. However, with a lot of major employers opening office locations in South Bangalore, and with a series on new malls and multiplexes coming up shortly in its vicinity, Girinagar has maintained its desirability for the upwardly-mobile, family-oriented.
and Thyagarajanagar
due to the numerous temples and religious activities in the area. Some of the famous temples here are-
Also there is a temple street in the 1st Phase of Girinagar. This street has 5 temples next to each other. They are Sri Sita Ramachandra Lakshmana Swamy Temple, Sringeri Mutt
Sri Sharada Devi Temple, Sri Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Swamy Temple and Sri Mahaganapathi Temple.
and Koramangala
.
There are many institutions conducting classes in classical music
, dance, yoga
, vedas and even Sanskrit
. Some of these institutions are-
During the evenings, there are also many classical dance and music performances in the temples or in the cultural institutions in the area.
Park and Vivekananda Park are the major tourist attractions in Girinagar, apart from the temples mentioned in the previous section. The latter is famous for its statue of Swami Vivekananda, giving the park its name. Another famous attraction is the hill in Girinagar, or Hirannaya Gudda.
films. But there are other theatres Vijay, Kokila, Chowdeshwari, Kamakya, Eshwari and Chandrodaya located in adjacent neighbourhoods.
Best Shoppe, Spencer's Daily, Nilgiris
, More etc. have their operations here.
There are several banks here: State Bank of Travancore
, Corporation Bank
, Vijaya Bank
, Syndicate Bank
, Canara Bank
, HDFC Bank
to name a few.
PESIT, PES Degree College, Little Flower Public School
, Auden High School, Websters School and the Karnataka state office of the NCERT are all located in adjacent neighborhoods.
parliamentary constituency. The Current sitting Member of Parliament of Bangalore South is Shri. Ananth Kumar
(BJP
). Most of Girinagar lies in the Basavanagudi assembly constituency. The current sitting Member of Legislative assembly is Shri. Ravi Subramanya (BJP), who resides in Girinagar. However the part of Girinagar north of 50 Feet Road viz. Avalahalli, 3rd Phase, Muneshwara Block and Ganapathi Nagar sublocalities lies in the Vijayanagar
assembly constituency. The current sitting Member of Legislative assembly is Shri. M. Krishnappa (INC
).
Girinagar is also a ward in the Bangalore South zone of the BBMP (ward no. 162). It ranges from Nagendra Block in the east to Hosakerehalli Road in the west, from 50 Feet Road in the north to ORR in the south. and spans 1.77 km2. The ward has been reserved for women and the current corporator is Smt. H.S. Lalitha (BJP). However the northernmost part of Girinagar (north of 50 Feet road) lies in the Deepanjali Nagar ward (ward no. 158), also in the Bangalore South Zone and spans 2.09 km2. This ward also is reserved for women and the current corporator is Smt. Malathi (BJP).
, autorickshaws or city taxi
s.
The main roads in Girinagar are the 50 Feet Road (connecting the ORR and Basavanagudi), 80 Feet Road (connecting Hosakerehalli Road and Nagendra Block), Nehru Road (connecting 50 Feet Road and Girinagar 2nd phase) and Hosakerehalli Road (connecting Mysore Road and ORR). Arterial road
s like Mysore Road and the ORR are just 1 km from Girinagar.
Girinagar is well connected by BMTC
buses from Majestic
and Shivajinagar. The buses are not very frequent but regular. The routes from Majestic are 10 (Marcopolo
AC route), 36A, 36B, 36E and 36G which can be boarded from platform 10 in Majestic. The routes from Shivajinagar are 37E and 37F, which can be boarded from platform 10 in Shivajinagar.
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
e, very close to Mysore Road
State Highway 17 (Karnataka)
State Highway 17 is a four-lane highway from Nayandahalli, Bangalore to V.V. Puram in Mysore that serves as one of the prime state highways of Karnataka. In Bangalore, it is known as Mysore Road—while in Mysore, it is known as Bangalore Road. The highway has a total length of...
. This medium sized locality is surrounded by Nayandahalli
Nayandahalli
Nayandahalli is a locality in South Bangalore, India. It is located along the Mysore road . It is bordered by Banashankari, Rajarajeshwari Nagar and the Bangalore University campus . -References:...
in the west, Byatarayanapura and Deepanjali Nagar in the north, Srinagar and Banashankari in the east and Hosakerehalli in the south.
Geography
Girinagar is at a lower altitude (865 m) compared to the rest of Bangalore, which has an average elevation of 900 m. Also this area is very hilly, with steep roads, being on the slope of the plateau. To the west of Girinagar is a hill, known as Hirannaya Gudda in Kannada. This area lies in the Vrishabhavathi Valley region of Bangalore.Basically Girinagar is divided into 4 phases, with the 2nd phase being the largest. It also subsumes areas such as T Block, Muneshwara Block, Nagendra Block, Avalahalli, Ganapathi Nagar and Chamundi Nagar.
Culture
Girinagar is one of the more older, conservative areas of Bangalore, with a predominantly Kannada speaking population. The population is also predominantly HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
. This area is not very cosmopolitan
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
and tradition is the order of the day. But nowadays the youngsters here have a blend of both modern as well as traditional values.
Being in Southwest Bangalore, Girinagar is well connected to the Bangalore Central Business District
Bangalore central business district
The Central Business District of Bangalore, is the area with a radius of 6 kilometers from Vidhan Soudha. This is the main commercial area of Bangalore. Here you will find everything, from shoes to cars. It as many high rises, with UB Tower as the highest at 184 meters. The Collection in UB City is...
, but is very far away from the IT Corridor. However, with a lot of major employers opening office locations in South Bangalore, and with a series on new malls and multiplexes coming up shortly in its vicinity, Girinagar has maintained its desirability for the upwardly-mobile, family-oriented.
Temples
It is known as the spiritual hub of Bangalore, along with Mahalakshmi LayoutMahalakshmi Layout
Mahalakshmi Layout is a suburb in north-west Bengaluru, India. It is surrounded by Rajajinagar, Basaveshwaranagar and Yeshwanthapura. Together with Nandini Layout and Mahalakshmipuram,it is one of the biggest layouts in Bengaluru.The famous temple of Lord Hanuman etched on a single monolith stone...
and Thyagarajanagar
Thyagarajanagar
Thyagarajanagar is one of the oldest locality in Bangalore. It is part of Basavanagudi in South Bangalore. This area boasts of home to several religious temples and only area where you can find one or the other religious activity hitting the charts everyday. Right from the Pooja's to songs, also...
due to the numerous temples and religious activities in the area. Some of the famous temples here are-
- Karyasiddhi Anjaneya Temple- It attracts devotees from all parts of Bangalore. The temple is also the Bangalore branch of the Avadhoota Datta Peetham, started by Parma Pujya Sri Sri Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda SwamijiGanapathi SachchidanandaSri Sri Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji is the head of Avadhoota Datta Peetham in Mysore. Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji was born at Mekedatu in Karnataka, southern India on May 26, 1942. His devotees believe he was born "fully realised in command of the eight Mahasiddhis", and is...
. - Sri Ramashrama- The Bangalore branch of the MalnadMalnadMalenadu is a region of Karnataka state in South India. Malenadu covers the western and eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, roughly 100 kilometers in width. Malenadu covers portions of the Shimoga, Chikmagalur, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu and Hassan districts....
based HavyakaHavyakaHavyaka Brahmins are a Hindu Pancha Dravida Brahmin subsect primarily from the Indian state of Karnataka and Northern Kerala. Havyakas profess the Advaita philosophy propounded by Adi Shankaracharya.-Etymology:...
community's religious institution Shree Ramachandrapura Matha. - Sri Sai Mandiram Trust- A famous Sri Shirdi Sai Baba temple in 2nd phase.
- Sri Vasavi Kanyakaparameshwari temple- A very famous temple of the TeluguTelugu languageTelugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
speaking Arya Vysya community. - Sri Raghavendra Swami Mutt
- ISKCON Sri Jagannath Mandir- A new branch of ISKCON started in April 2011.
Also there is a temple street in the 1st Phase of Girinagar. This street has 5 temples next to each other. They are Sri Sita Ramachandra Lakshmana Swamy Temple, Sringeri Mutt
Sringeri Sharada Peetham
Sringeri Sharada Peetham is the southern Advaita Vedanta matha. It is located in Shringeri. It is claimed that it is the first of the four original mathas established by Adi Shankara.-Location:...
Sri Sharada Devi Temple, Sri Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Swamy Temple and Sri Mahaganapathi Temple.
Cultural institutions
Girinagar is probably one of the few localities in Bangalore where Indian culture is still the order of the day. Western based culture has still not caught up here unlike in eastern Bangalore areas like IndiranagarIndiranagar
Indiranagar is a suburb of Bangalore. The blue collar population of the city resides alongside the State's politicians, sports persons, celebrities and according to many surveys, Indiranagar is the costliest place to live in Bangalore. It is a very high value area, with steep real estate prices...
and Koramangala
Koramangala
Koramangala is a locality in Bengaluru, India. Situated in the south-eastern part of the city, it is one of the largest, and a highly sought after residential locality with its wide tree-lined boulevards with a mix of luxury apartments, commercial structures and posh bungalows. It is largely...
.
There are many institutions conducting classes in classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
, dance, yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, vedas and even Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. Some of these institutions are-
- Aksharam- It is a Sanskrit school which is the Bangalore branch of the Sanskrit promoting non profit organisation, Samskrita Bharathi
- Yogashri- This is located in the famous Vivekananda Park in Girinagar 1st phase. Yogashree is one of the most prominent wings of Hindu Seva Prathistana an NGO in the service of mankind for the last three decades. Yogashree has the unique achievement of training over 40,000 people in yoga, to its credit.
- Shankara Veda Patshala
- Padmavathi School of Performing Arts- A dance school which teaches KathakKathakKathak is one of the eight forms of Indian classical dances, originated from Uttar Pradesh, India. This dance form traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathaks, or storytellers...
, Bharata Natyam and OdissiOdissiOdissi, also spelled Orissi , is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. It originates from the state of Orissa, in eastern India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as...
. Conducts classes regularly on weekends.
During the evenings, there are also many classical dance and music performances in the temples or in the cultural institutions in the area.
Attractions
BDABangalore Development Authority
The Bangalore Development Authority of Bangalore, India, is a governmental organization that oversees planning and development of infrastructure, provision of development-related sites and services, and the housing needs of underprivileged citizens in Bangalore.BDA was created on January 6, 1976...
Park and Vivekananda Park are the major tourist attractions in Girinagar, apart from the temples mentioned in the previous section. The latter is famous for its statue of Swami Vivekananda, giving the park its name. Another famous attraction is the hill in Girinagar, or Hirannaya Gudda.
Cinemas
Girinagar has only 1 main theatre, Venkateshwara situated in the Muneshwara Block Main Road. It shows mainly SandalwoodCinema of Karnataka
The cinema of Karnataka , sometimes colloquially referred to as Sandalwood and as Chandanavana in Kannada, encompasses movies made in the Indian state of Karnataka based in Bangalore. Most of the movies are made in Kannada, with a handful of them in Konkani or Tulu. Today more than 100 films are...
films. But there are other theatres Vijay, Kokila, Chowdeshwari, Kamakya, Eshwari and Chandrodaya located in adjacent neighbourhoods.
Business, retail and finance
The growth in population and economic activities can be gauged by the presence of the banks, retail and financial institutions at Girinagar. Over the years, its infrastructure has grown rapidly enabling businesses in this area. Predominantly, this is a residential area. It is a home user market and all major home appliances retail chain stores such as LGLG
LG may refer to:*LG Corp., a South Korean electronics and petrochemicals conglomerate*LG Electronics, an affiliate of the South Korean LG Group which produces electronic products* Lawrence Graham, a London headquartered firm of business lawyers...
Best Shoppe, Spencer's Daily, Nilgiris
Nilgiris (supermarket)
Nilgiris is a supermarket chain in South India. It is also one of the oldest supermarket chains in India with origins dating back to 1905 and hence its products are sold under the brand name of "Nilgiris 1905"...
, More etc. have their operations here.
There are several banks here: State Bank of Travancore
State Bank of Travancore
State Bank of Travancore , is a subsidiary of the State Bank Group and also has private share-holders. It is the premier bank of Kerala State, India, where it has 700 branches...
, Corporation Bank
Corporation Bank
Corporation Bank is an India-based banking company based in Mangalore, India. The bank was founded with an initial capital of Rs. 5000 , and first day’s canvassed resources of less than one USD 1, has currently 12,724 full time employees, and operates from several branches in India.The Bank is a...
, Vijaya Bank
Vijaya Bank
-History:Vijaya Bank , a medium sized bank with presence across India. It was founded on October 23, 1931 by A. B. Shetty and a few other farmers in Mangalore, Karnataka in India.. The objective was to promote banking habits, thrift and entrepreneurship among the farming community of Dakshina...
, Syndicate Bank
Syndicate Bank
Syndicate Bank Ltd. is one of the oldest and major commercial banks of India. At the time of its establishment, the bank was known as Canara Industrial and Banking Syndicate Limited. The bank, along with 13 major commercial banks of India, was nationalized on 19 July 1969, by the Government of...
, Canara Bank
Canara Bank
Canara Bank is a state-owned financial services company in India. It was established in 1906, making it one of the oldest banks in the country. As on 2009 November, the bank had a network of 3057 branches, spread across India...
, HDFC Bank
HDFC Bank
HDFC Bank Limited is a major Indian financial services company based in India, incorporated in August 1994, after the Reserve Bank of India allowed establishing private sector banks. The Bank was promoted by the Housing Development Finance Corporation, a premier housing finance company of India...
to name a few.
Restaurants
The restaurants in this area are predominantly South Indian darshinis. Some of the well known eateries here are Padmanabha Food Kemp, Sri Manjunatha Darshini, Davanagere Benne Dosa and Sri Guru Chats to name a few. Multicuisine restaurants and global food chains are absent in this area.Educational institutions
Schools in the neighbourhood include Auden Public School, Purnapramati, Shantinikethana English School, Vijayabharathi Vidyalaya, Martin Luther Public School, St Pauls English School and Janadeepthi English School. However except for Auden Public School, the other schools are new or quite ordinary and most of the sudents in the locality usually study in schools in Basavanagudi, Banashankari and Jayanagar.PESIT, PES Degree College, Little Flower Public School
Little Flower Public School
Little Flower Public School is an unaided co-educational English medium school in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Founded in 1988, it is affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi...
, Auden High School, Websters School and the Karnataka state office of the NCERT are all located in adjacent neighborhoods.
Health care
Hospitals with good facilities are present in Girinagar, like Radhakrishna Hospital, Vinayaka Hospital, Vittal Eye Hospital, Kammavari Sangham Hospital, to name a few. Also present are many physiotherapy centres to serve the elder citizens of the area. Many gyms are also dotted all over Girinagar.Administration
Girinagar lies in the Bangalore SouthBangalore South (Lok Sabha constituency)
Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka state in southern India.-Assembly segments:...
parliamentary constituency. The Current sitting Member of Parliament of Bangalore South is Shri. Ananth Kumar
Ananth Kumar
Ananth Kumar, is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Bangalore South constituency of Karnataka and is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party political party.-Early life:...
(BJP
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
). Most of Girinagar lies in the Basavanagudi assembly constituency. The current sitting Member of Legislative assembly is Shri. Ravi Subramanya (BJP), who resides in Girinagar. However the part of Girinagar north of 50 Feet Road viz. Avalahalli, 3rd Phase, Muneshwara Block and Ganapathi Nagar sublocalities lies in the Vijayanagar
Vijayanagar, Bangalore
Vijayanagar is a neighbourhood in west Bangalore, India. It derives its name from the Vijayanagara empire that flourished in south India during 15th and 16th centuries. It is bound by Mysore Road and Magadi Road, with Chord Road cutting through.-History:...
assembly constituency. The current sitting Member of Legislative assembly is Shri. M. Krishnappa (INC
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
).
Girinagar is also a ward in the Bangalore South zone of the BBMP (ward no. 162). It ranges from Nagendra Block in the east to Hosakerehalli Road in the west, from 50 Feet Road in the north to ORR in the south. and spans 1.77 km2. The ward has been reserved for women and the current corporator is Smt. H.S. Lalitha (BJP). However the northernmost part of Girinagar (north of 50 Feet road) lies in the Deepanjali Nagar ward (ward no. 158), also in the Bangalore South Zone and spans 2.09 km2. This ward also is reserved for women and the current corporator is Smt. Malathi (BJP).
Transportation
Girinagar is one of the well known areas of Bangalore and most modes of transport in Bangalore will get you in and out of Girinagar, including public busesBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
, autorickshaws or city taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
s.
The main roads in Girinagar are the 50 Feet Road (connecting the ORR and Basavanagudi), 80 Feet Road (connecting Hosakerehalli Road and Nagendra Block), Nehru Road (connecting 50 Feet Road and Girinagar 2nd phase) and Hosakerehalli Road (connecting Mysore Road and ORR). Arterial road
Arterial road
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
s like Mysore Road and the ORR are just 1 km from Girinagar.
Girinagar is well connected by BMTC
Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation
The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation is a government agency that operates the public transport bus service in Bangalore, India.-History:...
buses from Majestic
Kempegowda Bus Station
Kempegowda Bus Station, also called Majestic Station, is a large bus station in central Bangalore, India. It is located opposite the Bangalore City Railway Station.This bus station provides connectivity to almost all the areas of Bangalore...
and Shivajinagar. The buses are not very frequent but regular. The routes from Majestic are 10 (Marcopolo
Marcopolo S.A.
Marcopolo S.A. is a bus manufacturer founded on August 6, 1949, in the southern Brazilian city of Caxias do Sul, state of Rio Grande do Sul. The company manufactures the bodies for a whole range of coaches, e.g. microbus, intercity and touring coach...
AC route), 36A, 36B, 36E and 36G which can be boarded from platform 10 in Majestic. The routes from Shivajinagar are 37E and 37F, which can be boarded from platform 10 in Shivajinagar.
Notable residents
- Ravi Subramanya, MLA, Bharatiya Janata PartyBharatiya Janata PartyThe Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
- M.N. Vidyashankar, ITInformation technologyInformation technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
secretary, Government of Karnataka - Sunil Rao, SandalwoodCinema of KarnatakaThe cinema of Karnataka , sometimes colloquially referred to as Sandalwood and as Chandanavana in Kannada, encompasses movies made in the Indian state of Karnataka based in Bangalore. Most of the movies are made in Kannada, with a handful of them in Konkani or Tulu. Today more than 100 films are...
actor - Dr. R.T. Rama, notable theater personality and a SandalwoodCinema of KarnatakaThe cinema of Karnataka , sometimes colloquially referred to as Sandalwood and as Chandanavana in Kannada, encompasses movies made in the Indian state of Karnataka based in Bangalore. Most of the movies are made in Kannada, with a handful of them in Konkani or Tulu. Today more than 100 films are...
actor - Dr. Aralumallige ParthasarathyAralumallige ParthasarathyDr. Aralumallige Parthsarathy is an international scholar and expert on the field of Dasa Sahitya who preaches the values and culture from the historic Bhakthi movement practiced through the centuries in the Haridasa Sahitya, taking its lineage from Madhwacharya. He is the author of more than 42...
, an international scholar, expert on Dasa Sahitya - Hema Panchamukhi, SandalwoodCinema of KarnatakaThe cinema of Karnataka , sometimes colloquially referred to as Sandalwood and as Chandanavana in Kannada, encompasses movies made in the Indian state of Karnataka based in Bangalore. Most of the movies are made in Kannada, with a handful of them in Konkani or Tulu. Today more than 100 films are...
actress - Sanjay Subramanyam, Magician
- Vijay Bharadwaj, Former Indian cricketer